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Grosse Pointe Blank
Grosse Pointe Blank is a 1997 American crime comedy film directed by George Armitage, and starring John Cusack, Minnie Driver, Alan Arkin and Dan Aykroyd. Cusack plays a hitman who returns to his hometown to attend a high school reunion. The film received positive reviews from critics and grossed $31,070,412. Plot Hitman Martin Blank finds himself depressed and disillusioned with his work. Grocer, his chief rival, is attempting to "unionize" the hitman business but Martin refuses to join, putting the two at odds. Following a botched contract, Martin accepts an invitation to his high school reunion in his hometown of Grosse Pointe, Michigan. He is persuaded into going by both his reluctant therapist, Dr. Oatman, and his secretary Marcella, who books him a contract in Michigan that coincides with the reunion, ostensibly to make amends with the client whose contract was botched. In Grosse Pointe, Martin reconnects with his childhood friend Paul and his high school sweetheart Debi Newberry, now a radio DJ, whom Martin had abandoned on prom night to enlist in the Army. He also visits his mentally ill mother in a retirement home and his father's grave. Meanwhile, Martin is stalked by Felix LaPoubelle, another hitman, who attempts to kill Martin in the convenience store built on the site of his childhood home. He is also followed by two National Security Agency agents who were tipped off to Martin's contract by Grocer. Despite these dangers, Martin remains distracted by his desire to win over Debi and fails to open the dossier on his target. At the reunion, Martin and Debi mingle with their former classmates and begin to fall in love all over again. Later, while exploring the halls alone, Martin is ambushed by LaPoubelle, whom he kills in self defense. Debi stumbles upon the scene and flees from the reunion in horror. Paul arrives moments later and helps Martin dispose of LaPoubelle's body in the school furnace. Debi later confronts Martin in his hotel room; he reveals that when he joined the army, his psychological profile showed a "moral flexibility" that prompted the Central Intelligence Agency to recruit him as an assassin, after which he decided to freelance. His rationalizations for his work terrify Debi even further; she rejects his attempts at reconciliation and walks out. Martin fires Oatman over the phone, lays off Marcella, and finally opens the dossier detailing the contract that brought him to Grosse Pointe. He is surprised to find that the target is Debi's father, Bart, who is scheduled to testify against Martin's client. Accompanied by several henchmen, Grocer decides to kill Bart himself to impress Martin's client. Martin abandons the contract and rescues Bart, driving him to the Newberry house and holing up inside. During the siege, Martin finally admits to Debi that he left her on prom night to protect her from his homicidal urges, which were due to his troubled upbringing. Martin gradually kills off the henchmen, and the NSA agents are gunned down by both Grocer and Martin. Martin then kills Grocer by smashing a television over his head. Injured and winded, Martin proposes marriage to Debi, who does not respond. Debi and Martin then leave Grosse Pointe together. Cast * John Cusack as Martin Q. Blank * Minnie Driver as Debi Newberry * Alan Arkin as Dr. Oatman * Dan Aykroyd as Grocer * Joan Cusack as Marcella * Jeremy Piven as Paul Spericki * Hank Azaria as Steven Lardner * Barbara Harris as Mary Blank * Mitchell Ryan as Bart Newberry * K. Todd Freeman as Kenneth McCullers * Michael Cudlitz as Bob Destepello * Benny Urquidez as Felix LaPoubelle * Carlos Jacott as Ken * Jenna Elfman as Tanya * Steve Pink as Terry Rostand * Brent Armitage as Cosmo * Ann Cusack as Amy * Belita Moreno as Mrs. Kinetta * K.K. Dodds as Tracy * Bill Cusack as waiter